New Goal

I am beginning a new weight loss goal of 10 lbs by mid-August. I logged my weight in my head yesterday morning, but apparently yesterday wasn't the best day to begin. I was unusually hungry all day long. Hopefully, between yesterday's eating craze and the upcoming Memorial Day weekend, I can still manage to lose 1 lb by next Tuesday 5/31.

Today was pretty good eating-wise, and I went for a nice walk outside too in the Metropark.

BREAKFAST (8:30 am)

1/2 cup Kashi Go Lean Crisp Toasted Berry Crumble cereal + 1/4 cup Trader Joe's dried Montmorency cherries + 2 TBSP chopped pistachios + 6 oz Yoplait honey vanilla Greek yogurt + dash Vietnamese cinnamon and dash nutmeg

LUNCH (1:00 pm)
Out running errands at lunch

1 serving pretzel sticks (not on Cinch plan, I know) + 1 cup salad + Lean Cuisine Thai Style Noodles with Chicken

SNACK (5:30 pm)

1/4 cup 60% dark chocolate chips

DINNER (7:30 pm)

Greek Ravioli:

1.5 oz 90% lean ground beef + 1/4 cup feta cheese + 1 cup sauteed spinach + 1/2 cup Pomi brand chopped tomatoes + 2 TBSP chopped olives + dashes each garlic powder, oregano, and basil + 1 serving frozen cheese ravioli. (I looked everywhere last weekend for whole grain ravioli: Heinen's, Whole Foods, Trader Joe's, and no one had it! I sure wish someone would make it.)

Super Proud of Me!

I ate really well today AND got in some fun exercise with my friend Holly at Zumba class! It is such a great feeling to do well on both food & exercise for the day.

BREAKFAST (8:30 am)

½ cup cottage cheese + ½ cup Dole peaches + 1 TBSP Justin’s Maple Almond Butter + 1 slice whole grain bread + dash nutmeg. Coffee w/ splash of milk

LUNCH (1:00 pm)

2 cups ginger broccoli slaw + 1 serving Back to Nature Organic Stoneground Wheat Crackers + 1 Trader Joe’s all natural beef hot dog, chopped + pickle relish, stadium mustard, diced onion, Trader Joe’s organic ketchup

SNACK (4:30 pm)

1 cup organic apple slices + 1 Laughing Cow Light Blue Cheese wedge + 1 TBSP Justin’s Maple Almond Butter + dash nutmeg

DINNER (7:30 pm) – Mexican!!

1 cup strained Pomi brand tomatoes + ¼ cup chopped red onion + ½ cup frozen corn + ¼ cup black beans + 2 Trader Joe’s all natural fully cooked meatballs + chopped avocado, dash cumin, chopped cilantro, lime juice

The Week Ahead

I have a fully stocked fridge with healthy foods to eat this week!

Today went rather well except for around 5:30 pm when my husband and I took our son out for ice cream. It was a beautiful day, and I skipped my mid-day snack to budget calories for ice cream. :)

I'm looking forward to the upcoming week. I've never been more motivated to eat well and get more exercise. In the past, I've always made exercise a priority, but I never ate as well as I could. Then, I found the Cinch diet, and eating well was rather easy, but I took a step back exercising. Now, I'm going to work on both together. Tomorrow, I am planning for either a Zumba or Step Aerobics class at the gym after work or some quality time on the Elliptical in my basement if I don't make it to the gym for some reason.

BREAKFAST (9:00 am)

Berry Smoothie and Almond Butter on Toast

LUNCH (2:00 pm)

Lentils and Couscous with Broccoli and Roasted Red Pepper Pesto

SNACK (5:30 pm)

The aforementioned ice cream!

DINNER (8:00 pm)

Trader Joe's All Natural Beef Hot Dog on Whole Wheat Bun with Ginger Broccoli Slaw

Virtual Farmers Market

Day 2 of Fast Forward was a success! I ate the exact same thing as yesterday, except I used cashews at dinner instead of almonds since I ran out. I’m hoping that by tomorrow morning a few of those 5 lbs I gained have disappeared.

I found my mouth watering for the blueberry smoothie that I had at lunch today, and again when I had the parfait. This took place the last 2 times I completed the Fast Forward phase too. I found myself craving the spices cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves before I ate them. Even though there is a small amount of sugar in the way I have modified each of my meals (since I loathe plain yogurt and tart raspberries), I think my taste buds are starting to clean up again. Yay!

I’m really excited about an upcoming virtual farmers market that I just joined here in NE Ohio. It’s called Fresh Fork Market. It’s a CSA (community supported agriculture) program. They deliver fresh, organic foods from local farms every Friday, and it begins on May 27. I am super excited to see what will be in the first weekly basket of groceries. Can’t wait to make meals that are Cinch-friendly out of the ingredients. A typical basket of groceries from last year included: 1 Free Range Organic Chicken; 3 lbs Red Norland Potatoes; 12 oz Stuffing (day-old bread); (6-count) Rustic French Dinner Rolls; 1 bunch Organic baby carrots; 1 to 2 Organic Yellow Spanish Onions; 1 bulb German White Porcelain Hardneck Garlic; and 1 lb Organic Benchmark green beans.

Day 3 ends my Fast Forward phase tomorrow. Thank goodness. I made the Tuna Pecan Pasta for my husband tonight, and I wanted to eat some myself.

I'm Back!!

Woah! What a crazy month I’ve had in April. Between caring for my sick son, sick husband (migraine + ER trip), softball practice starting, an Easter weekend get-away to Indiana, planning for a 2-year old birthday party, a crazy busy full-time job during the day coupled with an equally busy part-time job in the evening, it's no wonder I made it through the month with all of that stress.

Although because of my crazy chaotic life, I managed to gain 5 lbs back from all of my hard work on the Cinch plan. I’m pretty bummed about that, so today I started all over on the detox Fast Forward phase. As usual, I modify this phase each time, so here is how today shaped up:

BREAKFAST (8:30 am)

Spinach Scramble:

1 cup sautéed spinach + 1 scrambled egg
1 cup Trader Joe’s Very Berry Cherry Blend (blackberries, strawberries, raspberries, and cherries) + 2 TBSP slivered almonds
Dash onion powder for the spinach scramble and dashes of cinnamon & cloves for the berries

LUNCH (12:00 pm)

Smoothie:

1 cup frozen blueberries
6 oz Chobani brand vanilla greek yogurt
2 TBSP Justin’s Maple Almond Butter (on the side scooped with a spoon)
Dashes of cinnamon & cloves for the smoothie

SNACK (4:30 pm)

Parfait:

1 cup Trader Joe’s Very Berry Cherry Blend (blackberries, strawberries, raspberries, and cherries)
6 oz Chobani brand vanilla greek yogurt
2 TBSP slivered almonds
Dashes of cinnamon, nutmeg, & cloves

DINNER (7:00 pm)

Spinach “Mess”:

2 cups sautéed spinach
1 hard-boiled egg
2 TBSP slivered almonds
Dash onion powder

The day was mostly OK until RIGHT NOW! I'm pretty hungry, so I'm going to bed before I can think about going into the kitchen to get food.

2 Week Crunch!

I have only 2 weeks left until my deadline, which also happens to be my son's birthday! Things have been absolutely crazy busy insane lately. I haven't been able to keep up with my blog...


BREAKFAST (8:30 am)

Blackberry Maple Almond Butter Toast:

2/3 cup frozen blackberries, thawed
1 slice whole grain bread, toasted
8 oz. organic skim milk
1 TBSP Justin's Maple Almond Butter
Dash nutmeg

Don't know why, but I just couldn't eat the full cup of berries.


LUNCH (1:30 pm)

Refried Bean Pita:

1 cup shredded purple cabbage, 1/2 cup all-natural salsa, 1/4 cup chopped onion
1/2 of a whole grain pita
1/2 cup vegetarian refried beans
1/4 cup Wholly guacamole
Dash cumin

Again, I just couldn't think of what else to add in the pita to meet the full 2 cups of veggies that is required.

I had my daily dark chocolate right after lunch.


SNACK (4:30 pm)

Nutmeg Parfait:

No fruit (I planned on having a kiwi, but forgot my peeler)
No whole grain
6 oz. honey vanilla greek yogurt
2 TBSP slivered almonds
Dash nutmeg

I did the elliptical for 30 minutes after work.


DINNER (7:30 pm)

Lentil and Feta Cheese Salad with Confetti Rice:

1 cup fresh spinach, 1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper, and 1/2 cup chopped zucchini (sauteed)
1/2 cup Trader Joe's cooked confetti rice (not whole grain, but so delicious!)
1/4 cup cooked lentils plus 1/4 cup feta cheese
1 TBSP olive oil for veggie saute
Lemongrass, garlic, ginger, white pepper, and tumeric in the rice

This dish was sooo yummy! I might try to make the confetti rice next time and use whole grain brown rice instead.

Mostly A Good Day

I almost made it through the day where I didn't put extra food in my mouth at non-meal times. (Just typing that out makes me feel ridiculous...) I ended up eating some pretzels with lentil dip before dinner, and some cinnamon flavored baking chips after dinner because I had a major sweet tooth. Tomorrow, my plans are to drink more water during the day and eat every 3-4 hours. Although I am having dinner at my in-laws, so I will do the best I can.


BREAKFAST (8:30 am)

Strawberry Muesli:

1 cup strawberries, sliced
1/2 cup Kashi Go Lean Crunch cereal
6 oz. Chobani brand honey vanilla Greek yogurt
2 TBSP chopped peanuts
Dash cloves


LUNCH (1:30 pm)

Zesty Bean and Summer Slaw Bread Salad:

1 cup shredded cabbage, 3/4 cup shredded carrot, and 2 TBSP chopped red onion
1 slice rye bread, chopped
½ cup great northern beans
¼ of an avocado, chopped
1 TBSP orange juice, 2 TBSP rice vinegar, ½ tsp celery seed, sprinkle of pepper

This was a modified version of the Zesty Bean and Summer Slaw Pita recipe in the Cinch book. I am becoming bored with the recipes, and I am also on a rye bread kick lately, so I jazzed this one up. It was really good.

I had my daily dark chocolate right after lunch.


SNACK (4:45 pm)

Plum with Yogurt and Cinnamon:

1 plum, peeled and sliced
No whole grain
6 oz. Chobani brand very berry Greek yogurt
1 TBSP slivered almonds and 1 TBSP PB & Co Cinnamon Raisin Peanut Butter
Dash Vietnamese cinnamon

YUM!


DINNER (7:30 pm)

Tuscan Panzenella Salad:

½ cup cup chopped cucumber, 1 vine-ripened chopped tomato, ¼ cup chopped red onion, and 1 chopped beet
2 TBSP whole grain croutons
½ cup great northern beans
¼ of an avocado, chopped
Dash balsamic vinegar and dash dried basil


I was inspired yet again by California Pizza Kitchen's salad menu, so I modified this one to meet the Cinch plan. I thought it was OK. Hubby didn't like it... said it was "too beany".

A quick follow-up on my "becoming bored with the recipes" comment above. Although the recipes in the book really are quite delicious, I wish a Cinch cookbook would come out. I have been an avid meal planner for years, and I find a lot of satisfaction in keeping up the variety of foods for myself and my family. Lately, I have been spending a lot of time searching for new recipes to try. I even made a list of Spring foods to incorporate into my next grocery list and meal planning, including:

Apricots
Cherries
Radishes
Cherry Tomatoes
Asparagus
Zucchini
Fennel
Scallops
New Potatoes
Okra
Sugar Snap Peas
Kumquats

I love Spring!

Busy Day Yesterday

I'm still having trouble putting random food in my mouth. Yesterday I had a handful of peanuts at work because someone conveniently brought in a "make-your-own brownie" buffet, and peanuts were one of the toppings. I also had a few pretzels while I was cooking dinner. The problem is that I'm starving when it is time to eat my next meal. I need to start eating sooner, like every 3-4 hours instead of every 5 hours. I am also going to do another FF phase starting in a few weeks on April 17 for 3 days.

BREAKFAST (8:30 am)

Peanut Butter Banana Toast with Milk:

¾ of a banana
1 slice whole grain bread, toasted
8 oz organic low-fat milk
2 TBSP Justin’s maple almond butter
Dash nutmeg


LUNCH (1:00 pm)

Panera Bread:

1 cup field greens & romaine lettuce, 1 chopped vine-ripened tomato, chopped cucumber, and red onion
Whole grain baguette
Black bean soup (black beans, vegetarian broth, onion, red bell pepper)
Balsamic vinaigrette for salad. Cilantro, garlic and cumin in soup.


SNACK (5:30 pm)

Coconut cream lara bar
8 oz organic low-fat milk

I had my daily dark chocolate during my snack today.

I jumped on the elliptical for 40 minutes after work.


DINNER (7:30 pm)

Spinach Orzo Pasta with Feta Cheese and Cranberries

1 cup sautéed spinach leaves, ¼ cup shredded carrots, ¼ cup sautéed diced red onion, plus ¼ cup dried cranberries sweetened with apple juice
½ cup whole grain orzo pasta
¼ cup herb and garlic feta cheese
2 TBSP pistachios
Dash balsamic vinegar

Love, love, loved this meal!!

Plus, I had a handful of chocolate chips after dinner.

No More Excuses

At first, it was too much snacking, and then my son was sick. Then, I was extremely busy working 2 jobs, and then I was out of groceries. If there is one glaring lesson for my Cinch journey over the past month, it is life will get in the way. My weight hasn't budged in the past month, and I've got to kick it into high gear!

For this upcoming week, I have groceries in my kitchen, and my son is finally feeling better after 2 straight weeks of being sick. I do have a lot of work to do this week, but with some advance planning, I can (and will) keep up with my eating plan. I really miss the gym too, so I plan to get back into my workouts.

Today, I made up my own recipes that follow the plan, and they were all very good!

BREAKFAST (9:30 am)

Dark Chocolate Oatmeal with Apples and Cinnamon:

1 Gala apple, chopped
1/4 cup quick cooking oats
8 oz skim milk
1/8 cup Ghiradelli dark chocolate chips
Dash Vietnamese cinnamon


LUNCH (1:00 pm)

Israeli Salad with Feta Cheese and Rye Bread:

3/4 cup chopped cucumber, 3/4 cup chopped green bell pepper, 1 chopped plum tomato
1 slice rye bread, chopped and tossed into the salad
1/4 cup garlic & herb feta cheese
10 olives
Dash lemon juice and balsamic vinegar

I had my daily dark chocolate right after lunch.




SNACK (5:30 pm)

No fruit (because I knew that I'd be tossing in fruit into my salad at dinner)
No whole grain
1 oz cheese
2 TBSP Cinnamon Raisin Peanut Butter by PB & Co


DINNER (8:00 pm)

Morrocan Chicken Chopped Salad:

1 cup spring salad mix, 1/4 cup shredded carrots, 1/4 cup chopped red bell pepper, 1/4 cup steamed butternut squash, 1/8 cup dried cranberries sweetened with apple juice, and 1/8 cup chopped dried apricots
2 TBSP whole grain croutons
3 oz cooked "Smart" chicken breast (no antibiotics or hormones used in raising the chicken)
1 TBSP slivered almonds, plus 1/2 TBSP olive oil for the salad dressing
Vietnamese cinnamon dry rub on the chicken, dash champagne vinegar, dash dried mustard

I was inspired by California Pizza Kitchen's version of this chopped salad, but I deleted the avocado, hard boiled egg, and beets to make the meal fit the Cinch plan. I bought the beets during my shopping trip this weekend, but I realized that this meal had plenty of ingredients already. This salad was DELICIOUS!!

Day 3 - Success

I'm so tired tonight. Other than a handful of animal crackers that I had after dinner, today was mostly successful. A quick post for the day:


BREAKFAST (8:30 am)

Cranberry Cashew Parfait:

1/4 cup dried cranberries
3/4 cup Kashi Go Lean cereal
6 oz. honey vanilla Greek yogurt
2 TBSP chopped cashews
Dash cinnamon


LUNCH (1:30 pm)

Thai Chicken Wrap:

1 cup chopped cucumber and 1 cup chopped red bell pepper
1 whole grain tortilla wrap
3 oz. cooked chicken breast
2 TBSP Justin's maple almond butter
Dash balsamic vinegar


I had my daily dark chocolate around 2:00 pm.


SNACK (5:30 pm)

Ginger Snap lara bar
8 oz. organic skim milk


I have found a new favorite lara bar, the ginger snap. It is so yummy!


DINNER (8:00 pm)

Zucchini and Black Bean Quesadillas:

1 cup sauteed zucchini, 1/2 cup sliced red onion, and 1/2 cup all-natural salsa
1 whole grain tortilla wrap
1/4 cup black beans plus 1/2 oz. cheese
1/4 of a medium avocado
Dash cumin

Day 2 - Modifications

I am enjoying making up my own recipes that follow the Cinch plan. Although, I had to modify the plan slightly since I was eating dinner at my in-laws.

BREAKFAST (8:30 am)

Fruity Waffle Sundae:

1 cup frozen Trader Joe's Very Berry Cherry Blend (cherries, blackberries, blueberries, and raspberries), thawed
1 Van’s brand whole grain waffle
¼ cup part-skim ricotta cheese
2 TBSP chopped pistachios
Dash Vietnamese cinnamon


LUNCH (1:30 pm)

Cran-Broccoli Chicken Pecan Wrap:

1 cup shredded broccoli slaw plus ¼ cup dried cranberries sweetened with apple juice
1 whole grain tortilla wrap
3 oz. cooked chicken breast
2 TBSP chopped pecans
Dash balsamic vinegar, dried mustard, garlic powder

I know that in the book you’re supposed to have fruit at breakfast and snack, and then vegetables at lunch and dinner, but in search of new recipes, I sometimes combine fruit and vegetables in the right portions. And this wrap was awesome!


I had my daily dark chocolate right after lunch.


SNACK (4:30 pm)

Apple pie lara bar


DINNER (7:00 pm)

8 steamed asparagus spears
1/2 cup sweet potato
3 oz. pork tenderloin
¼ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips after dinner
Dash pepper on asparagus spears

And I had 2 glasses of Chardonnay, which is not allowed on the plan, but I rarely drink alcohol anymore, so I will not beat myself up about it.

Day 1 - Starting Over Again

Wow... Other than the burger I had last Thursday, I've actually done quite well over the past few days that I have been missing again. My son was sick all last week with a double ear infection. It was the most awful thing to see his poor little eyes crying out in pain. I was off of work most of last week taking care of him since he could not go to daycare with a fever. What a relief that he is feeling better today.

I've absolutely had no time to post my Cinch meals over the past few days, but I'm attempting to start again. In exactly 30 days is my son's 2nd birthday and also the date that I set for myself back in January to reach my weight loss goal. I am 6 lbs away from that goal. Here goes the next 30 days! (And then, I'd like to start toning for summer...)

BREAKFAST (8:30 am)

Maple Almond Plum Toast with Milk:

1 plum, peeled and sliced
1 slice whole grain bread, toasted
8 oz. skim milk
1 TBSP Justin’s maple almond butter
Dash nutmeg

LUNCH (1:00 pm)

Asian Sesame Chicken Wrap:

1/2 cup sliced red bell pepper, 1 cup sugar snap peas, 1/2 cup shredded carrots
1 whole grain tortilla wrap
3 oz. cooked chicken breast
1/2 TBSP sesame oil plus 1 TBSP slivered almonds
Dash pepper


I had my daily dark chocolate right after lunch.


SNACK (4:30 pm)

Kimi Nutmeg Almond Crunch:

1 kiwi, peeled and sliced
No whole grain
1/2 cup low-fat cottage cheese
2 TBSP slivered almonds
Dash nutmeg


WORKOUT (6:15 pm)

30 minute workout on the elliptical trainer


DINNER (7:00 pm)

Chicken Fajitas:

1/2 cup sauteed onion, 1/2 cup all-natural salsa, and 1 cup sauteed red, green, and yellow bell pepper strips
1 whole grain tortilla wrap
3 oz. cooked chicken breast
1/4 cup Wholly guacamole
Dash cumin

And I had about 8-10 tortilla chips while I was cooking. I was starving!

Day 2 - So Far, So Good

After my post yesterday, I tried to mentally "record" the many food decisions that I was faced with today. It started with breakfast when I toasted my bread in the cafeteria. "I saw the apple cinnamon crumb cakes all beautifully wrapped up in a bowl; I wondered how much the chocolate chip cookies were; I noticed they started adding hummus to the refrigerated case; I thought the type of flavored coffee they made for the day sounded yummy; I looked to see what the salad was for lunch today; the dept admin brought in banana bread and carrot cupcakes and told everyone to come and enjoy." All of this while I simply used the cafeteria toaster!!!

Around 9 am, I realized that I forgot to eat the side of hazelnuts that I brought with me. Around 11 am, I started thinking about my lunch, but managed to keep working hard on my projects, so I wouldn't eat it too early. After lunch, I reached for my desk drawer to have a 100 calorie dark chocolate bar, but I was out! I dug in my change purse for coins (since I never keep cash on me) with the thought that I would check the cafeteria vending machine for a hershey's dark chocolate bar (none available). I realized that I would just go without chocolate today. Then, around 3 pm, someone decided to buy 12 boxes of different kinds of ice cream bars, and the entire marketing department went to get one.

I'm sure there were more food decisions today, but man -- I am tired just thinking (and typing) about it. Amazing that I made it through unscathed:


BREAKFAST (7:30 am)

Banana Ricotta Hazelnut Toast:

½ banana
1 slice whole grain toasted bread
¼ cup low fat ricotta cheese
2 TBSP whole hazelnuts
Dash cinnamon


LUNCH (12:00 pm)

Baja Bean Salad with Whole Grain Tortilla Chips:

1 plum tomato chopped, 1 cup chopped cucumber, and 1/4 cup salsa
1 serving whole grain tortilla chips
1/2 cup kidney beans
1/4 cup Wholly guacamole
Dash cumin




SNACK (3:00 pm)

Apple, Gouda, and Chocolate Peanut Butter:

1 cup apple slices
No whole grain
1 Babybel gouda cheese
2 TBSP Justin's chocolate peanut butter
Dash cinnamon


I had my dark chocolate when I got home from a Dr. appt around 6:30.


DINNER (7:30 pm)

Cranberry Chickpea Orzo Salad:

1 cup sauteed spinach, 3/4 cup chopped zucchini, and 1/4 cup dried cranberries sweetened with apple juice
1/2 cup whole grain orzo pasta
1/2 cup organic chickpeas
2 TBSP slivered almonds
Dash red wine vinegar and dried parsley

Yes, I know the cranberries were technically a "no-no" since you're supposed to have only veggies for your lunch and dinner meals. BUT WHATEVER! Did you see the crazy day I had, and the yummy goodies I could have eaten?

Day 1 - Starting Over

I've been missing for a few days, and I confess it is because I have been randomly snacking and not wanting to be accountable to my blog. I haven't really been able to understand why; I cannot find any explanation in the book, nor do I feel that the exercises help me understand my behavior. I wonder if my random snacking is purely rebellion at this point? (Unfortunately, I have always considered diet success to be an "all" or "nothing" measurement.)

I think it's related to the number of food decisions we make in our daily lives. A Cornell study published in 2009 said that participants estimated they made about 15 food decisions per day. But, when they answered specific questions about when, what, how much, where they ate, and who made decisions about meals, the participants actually made an average of 221 food-related decisions each day.

"So many food decisions are made on mindless autopilot," Brian Wansink, the John S. Dyson Professor of Marketing and of Applied Economics at Cornell, said in a prepared statement. Wansink said the problem with making more food decisions than we are aware of is that each decision is influenced by the environment.

He has published a book: "Mindless Eating: Why We Eat More Than We Think" that maybe I should read.

Although today was quite difficult, I made it through...


BREAKFAST (9:00 am)

Berry Wafflewich (folded in half like a sandwich):

1 cup frozen Trader Joe's Very Berry Cherry Blend (cherries, blackberries, blueberries, and raspberries), thawed
1 Van’s brand whole grain waffle
8 oz. organic skim milk
2 TBSP Trader Joe’s all-natural almond butter
Dash nutmeg

LUNCH (12:30 pm)

Refried Bean Wrap with Side of Broccoli florets:

1 cup fresh spinach, ¼ cup all-natural salsa, ¾ cup raw broccoli
1 whole grain wrap
½ cup vegetarian refried beans
¼ cup Wholly guacamole
Dash cumin

I had my daily dark chocolate right after lunch.

SNACK (5:30 pm)

Peppery Kiwi Almond Twist:

1 kiwi, peeled and sliced
No whole grain
½ cup skim-milk cottage cheese
2 TBSP slivered almonds
Dash pepper




DINNER (8:00 pm)

Toasted Tuna Pita with Tomato and Cucumber Salad:

1 cup chopped cucumber and 1 plum tomato, sliced
½ whole grain pita
3 oz tuna
No plant-based fat
Balsamic vinegar for the salad/Pickle relish and dried dill for the tuna pita

(I did manage to have a few of my son's sweet potato fries at dinner too.)

Day 18 - I Need Groceries

I have noticed my fridge is becoming bare, and I have been using the same ingredients for the last few days in my meals. I actually like using the same ingredients in different ways, and I'm getting a bit tired of the same recipes from the book. So, I'm thinking that in preparation for my next grocery list this weekend, I might try making up my own recipes on most days. Although, I will probably still use some of my standard favorites from the book...

Well, since I said yesterday that I could eat this breakfast everyday, you better believe I ate it again today.

BREAKFAST (9:00 am)

Fruity Waffle Sundae:

1 cup frozen Trader Joe's Very Berry Cherry Blend (cherries, blackberries, blueberries, and raspberries), thawed
1 Van’s brand whole grain waffle
¼ cup part-skim ricotta cheese
2 TBSP chopped pistachios
Dash Vietnamese cinnamon

LUNCH (1:00 pm)

Bean and Guac Wrap with Balsamic Slaw:

(I created this one to use up some food in my fridge.)

1/2 cup shredded carrots, 1/2 cup shredded purple cabbage, and 1 cup fresh spinach
1 Trader Joe's whole grain tortilla wrap
1/2 cup white beans
1/4 cup all-natural guacamole
Dash balsamic vinegar

I was starving when I got home for lunch, and the devil side of my brain was screaming "snack while you prep". My angel side yelled back saying "no, just hurry up and make something quick before you can even think about what to snack on". I hurried and pulled all ingredients out of the fridge to make this wrap, and I was so proud of myself for not snacking before this meal. This is my weakest problem lately; I need to start planning for my next meal an hour before I actually plan to eat.

I had my daily dark chocolate right after lunch.

SNACK (4:00 pm)

Cinnamon Yogurt with Banana and Almonds:

1/2 of a banana, sliced
6 oz. honey vanilla Greek yogurt
2 TBSP almonds
Dash Vietnamese cinnamon

DINNER (7:00 pm)

Mediterranean Broccoli Couscous Platter:

2 cups steamed broccoli
½ cup whole wheat couscous
3 oz cooked chicken
2 TBSP pistachios
1 TBSP lemon juice and dash pepper

Day 17 - New Favorite Breakfast

Today was slightly better. It certainly started out great with my new favorite breakfast:

BREAKFAST (8:00 am)

Fruity Waffle Sundae:

1 cup frozen Trader Joe's Very Berry Cherry Blend (cherries, blackberries, blueberries, and raspberries), thawed
1 Van’s brand whole grain waffle
¼ cup part-skim ricotta cheese
2 TBSP chopped pistachios
Dash Vietnamese cinnamon

I could eat this breakfast everyday. The Banana Ricotta Hazelnut Toast used to be my favorite, but this one is even better!




LUNCH (12:00 pm)

Mediterranean Lentils with Couscous:

1 cup chopped cucumber and 1 chopped plum tomato
½ cup whole wheat couscous
½ cup cooked lentils
1 TBSP olive oil
Minced garlic




SNACK (4:00 pm)

Cinnamon Yogurt with Apple & Peanut Butter:

1 Gala apple, sliced
6 oz. honey vanilla Greek yogurt
1 TBSP Justin’s all-natural chocolate peanut butter
Dash Vietnamese cinnamon


DINNER (7:30 pm)

Layered Bean Nachos:

3 celery stalks chopped, ½ cup shredded carrots, ½ cup shredded purple cabbage
Too many whole grain tortilla chips :/
½ cup vegetarian refried beans
¼ cup all-natural guacamole
Dash pepper

This alteration of nachos was very yummy!

Day 16 - Bad Day

I had a really bad day, and so my eating was off track as well. For some reason, I was starving all day long, which was most likely a result of not eating a completely Cinch balanced breakfast. Here I go being accountable again:

BREAKFAST (8:30 am)

Cranberry Cashew Parfait:

1/4 cup dried cranberries
2/3 cup Kashi Go Lean cereal
6 oz. honey vanilla Greek yogurt
2 TBSP chopped cashews
Dash cinnamon

After taking one bite of my yogurt, it tasted sour, so I was concerned that it might be spoiled even though the sell by/expiration date was March 24th. I ended up not eating the yogurt, and so of course by 10:30-11:00 am, my stomach was growling. I didn't have any other food at work, so I had to wait until I was able to go home for lunch.

LUNCH (12:30 pm)

Mediterranean Lentils with Couscous

1 cup spinach, sautéed and 1 chopped plum tomato
½ cup whole wheat couscous
½ cup cooked lentils
1 TBSP olive oil
Minced garlic

I knew I was planning to cook this lunch, so it took longer than I wanted. Meanwhile, I was so hungry that I ate a chocolate peanut butter chip cookie while I finished cooking. So much for will power...


SNACK (4:00 pm)

Sonoma Snack:

1 cup red seedless grapes
1 serving whole grain crackers
1 Laughing Cow garlic and herb cheese
10 Kalamatta olives
Dash rosemary

Unfortunately, I did not enjoy my snack today. The grapes and olives were becoming rubbery because they’ve been in my fridge for a week and a half. I need to start freezing grapes and buying olives from the olive bar at the grocery store. The olives that I had in this snack were from a jar and not very good. Since I had the lite Laughing Cow cheese with only 35 calories, I decided to eat the whole grain part of my meal today. Usually, I skip the whole grain.

DINNER (7:00 pm)

Turkey and Wild Rice Stuffed Peppers:

1 large whole green bell pepper, 1/4 cup chopped onion, 1/4 cup shredded carrots, 1/4 cup sautéed spinach, 1/4 cup shredded purple cabbage
1/2 cup cooked wild rice
3 oz. cooked ground turkey
1 TBSP olive oil
Minced garlic, dash paprika

Starving again before dinner, I reached for some whole grain tortilla chips, a handful of almonds, and I had my daily dark chocolate. My green bell pepper wasn't completely cooked in this meal. I didn't have any time left to finish cooking before my husband had to leave, so I didn't end up eating it.

All in all, it was a bad day. Mostly because I felt like I was constantly hungry. I am beating myself up a little inside, and I'm disappointed in my constant snacking lately. I'm looking forward to starting fresh again tomorrow.

Day 15 - 2 Day Hiatus

Well, I knew that I wouldn't be sticking to the Cinch plan this past weekend. We had plans that centered around dinner on both Saturday and Sunday night. So, today was a new day. I am not planning to take any more days off from my diet until the end. Have to make this a quick post tonight.

BREAKFAST (8:30 am)

Strawberry Green Tea Muesli:

1 cup strawberries, sliced
2/3 cup Kashi Go Lean cereal
6 oz. Chobani brand vanilla Greek yogurt
2 TBSP chopped peanuts
Green tea leaves


LUNCH (1:30 pm)

Zesty Bean and Summer Slaw Wrap:

1 cup shredded cabbage, ½ cup shredded carrot, and 2 TBSP chopped red onion mixed with 1 TBSP orange juice, 2 TBSP rice vinegar, ½ tsp celery seed, sprinkle of pepper
¼ of an avocado, chopped
½ cup great northern beans
1 whole grain wrap

SNACK (4:30 pm)

Pear with Slivered Almonds and Babybel Gouda Cheese

DINNER (7:30 pm)

Turkey Pita with Side of Almonds:

1/2 cup shredded carrots, 1/2 cup diced red bell pepper, 1 cup romaine lettuce
1/2 whole grain pita
3 oz. roasted turkey breast
Large handful almonds
Dash balsamic vinegar

Day 14 - I Love Plums!

I tried a plum today for the very first time, and I'm in love. It might be my new favorite fruit. Before the Cinch diet, I was never a huge fruit person. I would usually eat my traditional favorites (bananas, strawberries, apples, pineapple, grapes), but I wouldn't venture out and try new fruits.

Today was pretty good on my diet for the most part. (I had too many chips with dinner.)

BREAKFAST (8:30 am):

Almond Butter Plum Toast with Yogurt:

1 plum, peeled and sliced
1 slice whole grain bread
6 oz. honey vanilla Greek yogurt
1 TBSP Justin’s honey almond butter
Dash nutmeg

This might be my new favorite breakfast. I’ve never tried a plum before, and wow, was it delicious!




LUNCH (1:00 pm)

Spinach Walnut Bleu Cheese Pita:

1 cup fresh spinach and 1 large chopped plum tomato
1/2 whole grain pita
1/4 cup bleu cheese
2 TBSP chopped walnuts
Dash balsamic vinegar

I finally found a portable bottle of balsamic vinegar. It is an aged 10-year vinegar from Trader Joe's. I cannot believe how much of a flavor difference I notice with this vinegar VS a vinegar that isn't aged. It has traveled in my work lunch bag 3 times this week, and twice my co-workers have asked me what it is. :-)




SNACK (4:30 pm)

Almond Butter and Gouda Cheese with Apple Slices:

(I skip the whole grain puzzle piece at each snack.)

1 apple, sliced
1 Babybel Gouda cheese
1 TBSP Justin’s honey almond butter
Dash nutmeg


DINNER (7:00 pm)

Chipotle:

Peppers and onions, lettuce, tomato salsa
Whole grain tortilla chips (had at home) and a little corn salsa
Black beans
Guacamole
Lots of spices in the salsa

Day 13 - Back to the Gym!

It was so nice to squeeze in a 3 mile walk with my friend Holly after a long hiatus. I really missed the gym over the past few weeks, and I'm looking forward to getting back into my group exercise classes.

Today was pretty good on the Cinch plan until the end of the day where I ate way too many animal crackers. And if I'm being completely accountable, I also ate 2 dark chocolate peanut butter cups from Trader Joe's. They are extremely good, and I'm going to get my Daddy some next weekend when he comes to visit us. :-) He loves dark chocolate too!


BREAKFAST (8:30 am)

Cranberry Cashew Parfait:

1/4 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup Kashi Go Lean Crunch cereal
6 oz. honey vanilla Greek yogurt
2 TBSP chopped cashews
Dash cinnamon and cloves


I had my daily dark chocolate around 11 am again today!

LUNCH (1:00 pm)

Leftover Avocado Crab Dip with Whole Grain Tortilla Chips:

½ cup celery sticks, ½ cup all-natural salsa, 1/4 cup shredded carrots, 1/4 cup sliced red bell pepper, ½ cup chopped cucumber
1 serving whole grain tortilla chips
3 oz lump crab meat
½ of a medium avocado
Lime juice and chopped cilantro

SNACK (4:30 pm)

Lemon Lara Bar
8 oz. organic skim milk

DINNER (7:00 pm)

Leftover Pistachio Nut Dusted Chicken, Wild Rice, and Salad:

Salad with 1 1/2 cups romaine lettuce and 1/2 cup shredded carrots
1/2 cup wild rice
3 oz cooked chicken
2 TBSP crushed pistachio nuts
Balsamic vinegar for the salad

Day 12 - Down Another Pound!

Those 3+ pounds are gone, and I'm down another pound. Hoorah! That is now a total loss of 12.5 lbs. I am so excited.

BREAKFAST (8:30 am):

Banana Ricotta Hazelnut Toast:

1 slice whole grain toasted bread, topped with:
¼ cup low fat ricotta cheese
½ banana
2 TBSP whole hazelnuts
Sprinkled with cloves

I had my daily dark chocolate around 11 am. Wow, I didn't make it very long into the day before I had chocolate, huh?

LUNCH (1:00 pm):

Turkey Almond Pita:

½ cup fresh spinach and 1 chopped plum tomato
½ whole grain pita
3 oz roasted turkey breast
1 TBSP raw natural almond butter
Dash balsamic vinegar


SNACK (4:30 pm):

Minneola Almond Twist:

Wedges from 1 medium Minneola
½ cup non-fat cottage cheese
2 TBSP slivered almonds
Dash dried basil


DINNER (8:00 pm):

Avocado Crab Dip with Whole Grain Tortilla Chips:

(I made this one up myself!)

½ cup celery sticks, ½ cup all-natural salsa, 1/4 cup shredded carrots, 1/4 cup sliced red bell pepper, ½ cup chopped cucumber
1 serving whole grain tortilla chips
3 oz lump crab meat
½ of a medium avocado
Lime juice and chopped cilantro

Day 11 - Feeling Better

I'm not 100%, but I am getting there. I suppose there is a light at the end of the tunnel. I'm actually quite surprised how quickly I jumped right back on the Cinch plan. I spent 3 straight days of random eating; I was sick and stressed out all of last week; Mother nature paid me a visit; The scale climbed up 3 lbs.; and amazingly I started over yesterday with no problem. I think this "diet" will be easy to maintain over the long-term.


BREAKFAST (8:30 am)

Strawberry Green Tea Muesli:

1 cup strawberries, sliced
2/3 cup Kashi Go Lean cereal
6 oz. honey vanilla Greek yogurt
2 TBSP chopped peanuts
Green tea leaves


Love, love, love this breakfast. The breakfasts in this plan are easy to pack on-the-go for work.




LUNCH (1:00 pm)

Spinach Walnut Bleu Cheese Pita:

1 cup fresh spinach and 1 large chopped plum tomato
1/2 whole grain pita
1/4 cup bleu cheese
2 TBSP chopped walnuts
Dash balsamic vinegar


As I ate my pita today, my co-worker right next to me said "Something smells good." She looked to see what I was eating, and then my other co-worker pops his head over my cube and says "Seriously? How do you have time to make that?" I actually realized how easy it is to throw a plum tomato in my lunch bag, pack a handful of spinach in a ziploc bag, measure 2 TBSP of walnuts in a side container, wrap a pita in foil, pack a knife, and keep some balsamic vinegar on hand at work. Sounds like a lot, but it took me 5 minutes this morning to pack both my breakfast and lunch. I already had a snack waiting on me at work, so there was no need to pack one.

SNACK (5:30 pm)

Lemon Lara Bar
8 oz. organic skim milk


DINNER (8:00 pm)

(I made this one up based on a recipe in the book.)

Pistachio Nut Dusted Chicken, Wild Rice, and Sauteed Spinach with Tomatoes:

1 cup fresh spinach leaves, ¼ cup green onion, and 1 chopped plum tomato - sauteed
½ cup cooked wild rice
3 oz cooked organic “Smart” chicken
2 TBSP chopped pistachios
Dash basil and 2 TBSP balsamic vinegar for the spinach and tomatoes; Dash garlic powder and tarragon for the chicken

This one was quite yummy!

Day 10 - 3 Days Later

I've been MIA...

I spent the entire weekend sick with a terrible respiratory virus that finally made it's way to me. I've never coughed so hard in my life. My husband has had this cold for about a week and a half now. I've been eating zinc lozenges to try and avoid it. My boss swears that if you start eating them before the cold strikes, you might miss it completely. Unfortunately, that didn't happen for me.

Last week was so hard with my son starting daycare AND him being sick with this thing at the same time. I just wanted to cuddle with him and take care of him as soon as we got home each evening. He coughed all over me, and we went through boxes of kleenex. It was inevitable. The cold got me too.

So needless to say, I haven't been sticking to my diet. With little to no groceries, we ordered pizza and salad on Friday night and had soup & crackers on Saturday night. On Sunday night, we did have a Cinch-based dinner, the Fiesta Pasta Salad, which was delicious. However, I didn't stick to the plan the entire day, so I am picking up where I left off today. I'm still feeling quite crappy, but I'm going to do my best...


BREAKFAST (8:30 am)

Cranberry Walnut Parfait:

¼ cup dried cranberries, sweetened with apple juice
¼ cup whole oats
6 oz. honey vanilla Greek yogurt
2 TBSP chopped walnuts
Dash Vietnamese cinnamon from Whole Foods (thanks for the recommendation, Laura!)


LUNCH (12:00 pm)

Black and Blue Salad:

1 cup field greens and 1 chopped plum tomato
1 serving Trader Joe’s whole grain crackers
¼ cup reduced fat crumbled blue cheese
10 Kalamatta olives, sliced
1 TBSP balsamic vinegar and dash each basil and oregano




SNACK (5:30 pm)

Cherry Pie Lara Bar
8 oz organic skim milk


DINNER (8:00 pm)

Turkey Pita Pizzalad:

1/2 cup marinara sauce, 1/2 cup field greens, 1/4 cup diced red bell pepper, 1/4 cup chopped onion, 1/2 cup shredded carrots
1/2 whole grain pita
3 oz. organic ground turkey breast, cooked
Chopped garlic, dash oregano, and dash basil

And I had a serving of Ghiradelli 60% dark chocolate chips as the plant-based fat. I still love that I am allowed to substitute chocolate chips for the fat part of a meal!




Hopefully, tomorrow is another successful day!

Day 9 - Sick?

I think I am getting the cold that has spread through my house this past week. Ugh. I’ve been coughing a little, blowing my nose occasionally, I have a headache, and I’ve been cold all day. Sounds exciting huh?

I didn’t have time to take any pictures again today, but hopefully my life starts to slow down a little here soon.

BREAKFAST (8:30 am)

Berries with Milk and Toast with Chocolate Hazelnut Butter:

1 cup blackberries, frozen and de-thawed
1 slice whole wheat bread, toasted
8 oz organic skim milk
2 TBSP Justin’s Chocolate Hazelnut Butter
Dash nutmeg for the berries

LUNCH (12:00 pm)

Leftover Herbed Chicken Pasta Salad from yesterday, and I had my daily dark chocolate right after lunch.

SNACK (3:30 pm)

Apple pie Lara Bar
1 skim milk string cheese
Mug of hot chai green tea

DINNER (7:30 pm)

Turkey Pesto Salad:

1 ½ cups field greens, ¼ cup each chopped cucumbers and green onion
½ cup frozen corn, lightly roasted in a skillet
3 oz Trader Joe’s roasted and sliced turkey breast
1 TBSP sun-dried tomato pesto
Dash balsamic vinegar and pepper

Day 8 - Still Crazy Busy

Today has been a very hard day. I was distracted most of the day because my son spent his very first day at daycare. Somehow, I managed to stay completely on my diet. I’m starting to think that sometimes my random snacking is simply due to boredom. When I am so busy that I don’t have time to think about food, I don’t feel the need to put something in my mouth. It might help to start asking myself if I am bored the next time that I find myself thinking of food.

No pictures today as I was super busy at work. And I am about to run out of groceries, so the next few days are going to be interesting...

BREAKFAST (8:30 am)

Strawberries and Cereal with Milk:

1 cup sliced strawberries
¾ cup Kashi Go Lean cereal
8 oz skim milk
1 TBSP chopped pecans and 1 TBSP slivered almonds
Dash cloves


LUNCH (12:30 pm)

I had another serving of the leftover Garlicky Barley Vegetable Chicken soup from yesterday followed by 1 TBSP of Justin’s Chocolate Peanut Butter on a spoon on the side.

I had my daily dark chocolate shortly after lunch.

SNACK (3:30)

Chocolate Coffee Lara Bar
6 oz Greek Honey Vanilla yogurt
Mug of hot chai green tea

I wasn't thrilled with my lara bar today. Considering that I love both chocolate and coffee, I thought this one would be a home run. Sadly no.


DINNER (7:30 pm)

Herbed Chicken Pasta:

½ cup fresh spinach, ½ cup diced tomatoes, ½ cup chopped celery, and ½ cup chopped red bell pepper
½ cup whole grain penne pasta
3 oz cooked chicken
1 TBSP olive oil
Dash each of dried basil and oregano

Days 6 & 7 - Busy, Busy

I'll have to condense 2 days into this one entry. Yesterday I was just too busy to post. And I'm noticing the scale is starting to rise again...I'm definitely stressed out lately. I miss working out too... :(

DAY 6

BREAKFAST (8:30 am)

Berries with Milk and Peanut Butter Toast:

1 cup frozen Trader Joe's Very Berry Cherry Blend (cherries, blackberries, blueberries, and raspberries), thawed
1 slice whole grain bread, toasted
8 oz. organic skim milk
1 TBSP Justin's Chocolate Peanut Butter
Dash cloves for the berries

LUNCH (1:30 pm)

Cinch Caesar Salad:

2 cups torn romaine lettuce
1 serving whole grain crackers
1/4 cup fresh shredded parmesean cheese
1 TBSP olive oil
Dash balsamic vinegar

I had my daily dark chocolate right after lunch.

SNACK (4:30 pm)

Berry Smoothie with Hazelnuts:

1 cup frozen Trader Joe's Very Berry Cherry Blend (cherries, blackberries, blueberries, and raspberries)
8 oz. organic skim milk
2 TBSP hazelnuts (eaten on the side)
Dash cloves for the smoothie

DINNER (7:30 pm)

Turkey Mock Tacos:

Romaine lettuce leaves, 1/2 cup all natural salsa, 1/4 cup each chopped bell peppers, diced onion, and vegetable broth
1/4 cup frozen corn
3 oz Trader Joe's roasted and sliced turkey
1/4 of an avocado
1 TBSP cilantro and lime juice

And I also had a handful of whole grain tortilla chips since I cut the corn serving in half.


DAY 7

BREAKFAST (8:30 am)

Cranberry Cashew Parfait:

1/4 cup dried cranberries
3/4 cup Kashi Go Lean cereal
6 oz. vanilla yogurt
2 TBSP chopped cashews
Dash cloves

LUNCH (1:30 pm)

Tomato, Basil, and Walnut salad with Great Northern Beans:

1 medium plum tomato, chopped
1/2 cup cooked wild rice
1/2 cup great northern beans
2 TBSP chopped walnuts
1 TBSP balsamic vinegar and 1 tsp basil



No snack -- was too busy today.


DINNER (7:00 pm)

Garlicky Barley Vegetable Chicken Soup:

1/4 cup each chopped onion, zucchini, green beans, carrots, cauliflower and 1 cup canned Italian tomatoes, and 2 cups vegetable broth
1/2 cup cooked barley
3 oz cooked chicken
1 TBSP olive oil
Chopped garlic (A LOT!)

Although the barley took an hour to cook, this soup was delicious and well worth the wait!

Day 5 - Usual Day

I spent nearly the entire day taking care of my sick son. Through careful planning, I was still able to make food for myself that adheres to the plan. Other than that, not much else to report today. I'm looking forward to the week ahead and hoping to keep my sanity due to an equally as busy week as last week. Hoping to actually relax someday soon?!

BREAKFAST (9:30 am)

Cherry Almond Green Tea Smoothie:

1 cup Trader Joe's Very Berry Cherry Blend, frozen berries
1/4 cup whole oats
8 oz organic skim milk (I cut this in half, so my smoothie was thicker.)
2 TBSP almond butter
Green tea leaves and dash cinnamon

This smoothie was just OK. It had too much of an almond taste for me. I like my smoothies to taste more like berries. Next time, I will leave the almond butter out of the smoothie itself & eat it on the side.

LUNCH (1:30 pm)

Turkey Almond Pita:

1 medium chopped plum tomato, 1/2 cup diced cucumber, 1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 whole grain pita
3 oz Trader Joe's roasted and sliced turkey breast
2 TBSP almond butter
Dash balsamic vinegar for the pita




After lunch, I was kind of bad and had too many of those cadbury eggs with the candy crunch shell. No more substituting for the dark chocolate allowance...


SNACK (4:30 pm)

Cranberry Pesto Egg Spread:

1/4 cup dried cranberries
1 serving whole grain crackers
1 hard boiled egg, sliced
1 TBSP sun dried tomato pesto
Dash rosemary


DINNER (7:30 pm)

Edamame Cashew Stir Fry:

1/4 cup each diced red pepper, shredded carrots, chopped celery, diced onion
1/2 cup cooked brown rice
1/2 cup shelled edamame
2 TBSP chopped cashews
1 TBSP each OJ and rice vinegar, dash ginger, and chopped scallions

I was able to cook with edamame again! This meal was really yummy. I added cooked chicken to my husband's meal, but I really liked mine just as the recipe directed.




Tomorrow, I am planning to have Berry Walnut French Toast for breakfast, Cinch Caesar Salad for lunch, Berry Smoothie with Hazelnuts for a snack, and the Turkey Mock Tacos for dinner.

Day 4 - Food Inc

Last night I watched Food Inc., which is a documentary made in 2008 about the mass food industry. I was amazed and disgusted at times, especially when they showed how meat is raised, processed, produced, and shipped out for human consumption. The movie was enough to make me want to become a vegetarian, but I just don't think I could do it. I do like meat A LOT, but I plan to start being much smarter about my meat choices in the grocery store, during restaurant meals, and any other place where I might be eating away from home. I realize yet again how important it is to me to eat as chemical-free, hormone-free, pesticide-free, & antibiotic-free whenever possible. I realize this won't always be the case, but when I am able, I will!

And now, back to my Cinch plan. I lost another 3 pounds in 3 days on the Fast Forward. I have now lost a total of 11.5 lbs in exactly 5 weeks. It's amazing how awesome food tastes after you've been eating the same thing for 3 straight days. Thinking back to the first time I completed the Fast Forward phase, I remember how much I loved the variety of foods and flavors that I was having on the Core plan.

BREAKFAST (9:00 am)

Cranberry Cashew Parfait:

1/4 cup dried cranberries
3/4 cup Kashi Go Lean cereal
6 oz. vanilla yogurt
2 TBSP chopped cashews
Dash cloves

This parfait was really yummy. My husband's parfait is on the left, and mine is on the right. His looks like it has more yogurt inside the glass...




LUNCH (2:00 pm)

(This recipe was supposed to use ground turkey, but I needed to use some rosemary ham in the fridge before it went bad.)

Ham Pita "Pizzalad":

1/4 cup marinara sauce, 1/4 cup shredded carrots, 1/4 cup chopped onion, 1/2 cup diced bell peppers, 1/2 cup spring salad greens
1/2 whole wheat pita
3 oz rosemary ham
1 TBSP olive oil
Dash of balsamic vinegar for the salad

This pita pizza tasted SOOOO good! Loved this one. It felt like I was eating so much food too, and the whole meal probably only had about 250 calories. Delicious.



After lunch, I substituted my daily dark chocolate with 6 of the mini cadbury eggs with the candy crunch shell. It was also 100 calories, but this is my favorite candy ever. It's only out once a year around Easter time, so I just had to have a few. I tried to forget about the fact that it's loaded with Yellow #5, Blue #3, etc. UGH!


SNACK (5:30 pm)

Apple, Hazelnut Butter, and Cheese

1/2 of an apple
1 mini Babybel Gouda cheese
1 TBSP Justin's Chocolate Hazelnut Butter

I dipped my apple in the hazelnut butter and ate the cheese on the side.


DINNER (8:00 pm)

California Cilantro Chicken Burrito Bowl:

1 cup chopped romaine lettuce, 1/2 cup all natural salsa, 1/4 cup each green bell pepper, onion, & vegetable broth
1/2 cup cooked brown rice
3 oz cooked chicken, cubed
1/4 medium avocado, cubed
1/4 tsp chopped garlic and 1 TBSP chopped cilantro

I really love this recipe too!



Tomorrow, I am planning to have the Cherry Almond Green Tea Smoothie for breakfast, the Turkey Almond Pita for lunch, the Cranberry Pesto Egg Salad for a snack, and the Edamame Cashew Stir Fry for dinner.

Days 2 & 3 - The Cheater in Me

These past few days have been very busy and stressful, and therefore my Fast Forward phase was a challenge. At first I thought it was easier this time around, but with the added stress in my life (6 daycare appointments and working 2 jobs this week), it was actually harder.

I managed to eat the same meals as Day 1 with a few exceptions and additions (unfortunately...) Here goes me being accountable again:

DAY 2:

I sticked mostly to my meal plan except at dinnertime when I had to make dinner for my husband and son, and then again late at night while I was working on a project my 2nd job. At dinner, I ate a few of the sweet potato fries they were having, and then I had a handful of pretzels around 10:00. My stomach was rumbling, and it was hard to concentrate on writing my report. I had the will power last time, but this time I was weak.

DAY 3:

I woke up this morning, and the scale was down 3 lbs. I was thrilled and super motivated to have a perfect day. And then, I realized that I was out of slivered almonds and raspberries for some of my meals today. I ended up substituting strawberries in my parfait, and my favorite Very Berry Cherry Blend frozen berries for the smoothie. I took the smoothie to work for my afternoon snack, and then I forgot to eat it! On my drive home tonight, I realized that I left it there. I worked on a really hard report all day today, so my focus was completely elsewhere and not on my diet.

Then, when I got home tonight, I fell off the wagon. I had my hard-boiled egg & spinach, and some other random stuff. :-(


I really liked the idea of doing the "detox" part of the Cinch diet again after completing the initial 30 days. But I realized that all of the added stress of this past week really didn't help me very much. I'm ready to get back to the yummy meals again starting tomorrow, and after evaluating myself these past few days, I certainly have all 4 meals planned for tomorrow already. Planning ahead is critical to my success.

On the plus side, I now fit into 3 additional pairs of pants that I haven't been able to wear since before I was pregnant -- Yippee!!

Day 1 - Fast Forward Phase 2!

As I opened my Cinch! Book this morning back to the page with the recipes for the Fast Forward phase, my Shape magazine tear-out page of the Fruity Waffle Sundae fell out from the front of the book. It looked so delicious; I haven’t tried it yet. Wouldn’t you know I can’t eat it? Temptations, temptations…

I made the same tweaks as the last time I did the Fast Forward phase to make it work for me:

• I add a small pinch of sugar to my breakfast raspberries only
• My smoothie snack is in the middle of the day instead of at the end of the day, and I eat the almond butter on the side with a spoon
• I eat vanilla yogurt instead of plain yogurt (and this time I am eating greek yogurt with natural sugar instead of vanilla yogurt with high-fructose corn syrup!)
• I don’t eat the raspberries at my dinner meal
• I cook the spinach for my dinner meal instead of eating it as a salad

Today was actually much easier than I thought it would be. Around 11:30 am, I was sitting right in the middle of a meeting at work thinking about the yogurt parfait that I wanted to eat. My stomach rumbled, and I told it to stop immediately before I became embarrassed. And then, I got hungry again around 3:00 pm, which is usually the time when I have my daily dark chocolate. I ended up having a mug of hot chai green tea & guzzled a lot of water. That seemed to help.

Here was my day:

BREAKFAST (7:30 AM)

Spinach Scramble with Berries and Almonds:

1 cup fresh spinach (sautéed in EVOO spray) and 1 cup frozen raspberries, thawed
1 organic brown egg
2 TBSP slivered almonds
Dash cloves, nutmeg, and cinnamon for the berries
Dash oregano and chopped garlic for the spinach scramble

(There really is a cup of berries in that dish under all of the almonds!)



LUNCH (12:30 PM)

Parfait:

1 cup fresh raspberries
6 oz. 100% honey vanilla Greek yogurt
2 TBSP slivered almonds
Dash cloves, nutmeg, and cinnamon

Here is my new love (yogurt that is…)



SNACK (4:30 PM)

Smoothie:

1 cup frozen raspberries
6 oz. 100% honey vanilla Greek yogurt
2 TBSP natural almond butter
Handful ice
Dash cloves, nutmeg, and cinnamon

DINNER (7:30 PM)

Spinach “Salad”:

2 cups fresh spinach (sautéed in EVOO spray)
1 hard-boiled egg, sliced
2 TBSP slivered almonds
Dashes each balsamic vinegar, curry powder, and chopped garlic

This one might sound weird, but it really was quite delish!


My poor non-stick skillet has been showing signs of deteriorating, and it’s a known fact that once your skillet starts losing its coating, you need to replace it because chemicals in skillets can be cancerous. So, I’ve been skillet shopping. I’ve been doing tons of research (in addition to all that research I did when we registered for wedding gifts!). I do have a high quality stainless steel cookware set, but now I’ve realized that I will be replacing my "non-stick" skillets every 3-5 years. I think that I have settled on the Analon Advanced 12” Open Skillet. Don't want to spend big bucks on All Clad, Cuisinart, Calphalon, etc since I will eventually be replacing it again someday.

But what non-stick skillets do you have? There’s 800+ views on this page. Leave me a quick comment below – I know you're out there. :)

Day 30 - Core Plan Complete

Today was Day 30! It feels like I have been on this diet much longer than that. No more weight loss this week, but I’m about to begin another 3-day Fast Forward this Wednesday-Friday, so that should change. TOTAL WEIGHT LOSS (30 DAYS): 8.5 pounds.

I’ve been much more careful today with the random snacking.

BREAKFAST (8:00 am)

Strawberry Green Tea Muesli:

1 cup strawberries, sliced
2/3 cup Kashi Go Lean
6 oz. vanilla yogurt
2 TBSP chopped peanuts
Green tea leaves



LUNCH (1:00 pm)

Mediterranean Broccoli Couscous Platter:

2 cups steamed broccoli
½ cup whole wheat couscous
3 oz cooked chicken
2 TBSP chopped pecans
1 TBSP lemon juice and dash pepper

I had my dark chocolate right after lunch.

SNACK (4:30 pm)

Minneola Almond Twist:

Wedges from 1 medium Minneola
½ cup non-fat cottage cheese
2 TBSP slivered almonds
Minneola zest and sprinkled with basil


DINNER (7:30 pm)

Wild Rice and Chicken Lettuce Wraps with Citrus Slaw:

4 romaine lettuce leaves, 1 cup shredded purple cabbage, 1/4 cup green onions
1/2 cup wild rice
3 oz cooked chicken
1 TBSP sesame oil
1 TBSP pineapple juice, 1 TBSP rice vinegar, dash pepper, and I added some celery seed.

Day 29 - So Exhausted...

As I mentioned yesterday, my posts will be short for the next few days. I've got so much going on with my husband starting a new job, finding daycare for our son, and 2 freelance projects that I am working on in my 2nd job...

I've been so incredibly unmotivated today. Plus, I haven't slept well for the past 2 days. Hence, some random snacking habits today. I will start anew tomorrow, and I'm really looking forward to the FF phase this upcoming Wed.-Fri.

BREAKFAST (8:30 am)

Peanut Butter & Jelly Lara Bar
Yoplait Honey Vanilla 100% Greek yogurt

I originally packed the Raspberry Brazil Nut Pita for breakfast because the recipe looked delicious in the Cinch! book, but I made the mistake of using thawed frozen berries. When I got to work, I opened my pita that was wrapped in foil, and apparently I didn't drain the water from the berries enough because it completely ruined the pita. Luckily, I had a lara bar in my desk drawer and a yogurt stashed in the fridge at work.

And now I'm in love with the new Yoplait Greek yogurt. As everyone knows, I can't stand plain yogurt, and I've had some remorse about the fact that the vanilla yogurt I've been eating has HFCS in it and goes against the Cinch plan. But this greek yogurt was all-naturally sweetened, and I just can't believe how much I loved it. I only bought one at the grocery store last weekend (as a test just in case I didn't like it), so now I'm going out for more!

LUNCH (1:00 pm)

Cinch! Caesar Salad:

2 cups torn romaine lettuce
1 serving whole grain crackers
1/4 cup fresh shredded parmesean and asiago cheese
1 TBSP EVOO
Dash lemon juice and fresh pepper


SNACK (4:30 pm)

Peppery Kiwi Almond Crunch:

1 medium kiwi, peeled and sliced
1 slice whole grain bread (omitted)
1/2 cup low-fat ricotta cheese
2 TBSP slivered almonds
Dash black pepper


DINNER (9:00 pm)

Minestrone Soup with Whole Grain Crackers:

2 cups mixed veggies (carrots, onions, spinach, zucchini) and 1 cup vegetable broth
1 serving whole grain crackers
1/2 cup kidney beans
No plant based fat (due to my animal cracker binge - see below)
Lots of seasonings in the soup

And way too many animal crackers... Unfortunately, I went on a major pig out session with them this evening. Again, tomorrow is a new day.

Day 28 - Classic Favorites

It was nice to take the day off from my diet yesterday. For date night, my husband and I were originally planning to visit this gourmet hot dog restaurant that is supposed to be a pretty awesome place. However, it was too crowded when we arrived, so we ended up eating dinner at a Mexican restaurant instead. I still found myself ordering foods that fit into the puzzle pieces of the Cinch! diet. I think my brain is trained to eat this way forever! We split chips w/ salsa & guacamole for our appetizer, and I had spicy green lentils with tomatoes & onion, stir fry bok choy with garlic and lime juice, and jasmine rice for dinner (with a sangria of course!). Everything was really yummy. I was proud of myself because I had never tried lentils (beans) or bok choy (veggie) before. It was nice to try something new.

I have realized that since I took the day off yesterday that I have 3 more days of the Core plan, which means I will be starting the Fast Forward phase again this coming Wednesday instead of Tuesday.

Today, I found myself eating some of my favorites from the Cinch! book. Since I actually got to sleep in today, I ended up eating only 3 meals instead of 4:

BREAKFAST (12:00 pm)

(Yes, breakfast at noon on a Sunday!)

Banana Ricotta Hazelnut Toast:

1 slice whole grain toasted bread, topped with:
¼ cup low fat ricotta cheese
½ banana
2 TBSP whole hazelnuts
Sprinkled with cloves



LUNCH (4:30 pm)

Mediterranean Broccoli Couscous Platter:

2 cups steamed broccoli
1/2 cup whole wheat couscous
3 oz cooked chicken
2 TBSP chopped pecans
Minced garlic and 1 TBSP lemon juice



I ended up eating 2 graham crackers and 100 calories of dark chocolate around 6 pm. Maybe I should have had the mandatory snack after all...

DINNER (8:30 pm)

Smoked Gouda and Grilled Onion Salad:

1 1/2 cups torn romaine lettuce and 1/2 cup sliced onion
1 serving whole grain crackers
1 oz. smoked gouda cheese, cubed
1 TBSP EVOO
1 TBSP balsamic vinegar, 1 tsp lemon juice, sprinkled with pepper



This coming week is going to be extremely busy, so I'm probably going to have shorter blog entries. I won't be coming home for lunch tomorrow or Tuesday, so I will need to make sure and have plenty of time in the morning to pack my breakfast, lunch, and snack for each day.

Day 27 - Improvising

I fully intended on eating the 4 meals that I planned for the day, but then I decided to run errands on my lunch break, which meant that I needed both a lunch and snack that followed the Cinch plan since I wouldn't be going home for lunch. I also had a Dr. appt. right after work followed by a visit to the grocery store. I was practically on the go all day today from 7 am to 9 pm. So exhausted...

BREAKFAST (9:00 am)

Cranberry Almond Parfait:

1/4 cup dried cranberries
2/3 cup Kashi Go Lean Crunch
6 oz vanilla yogurt
2 TBSP slivered almonds
Dash nutmeg



LUNCH (1:30 pm)

Salad bar at Giant Eagle:

1 1/2 cups spring salad mix, 6 cucumber slices, 1/2 yellow bell pepper
1 serving Quaker whole grain mini rice cakes
1 hard boiled egg, sliced
8 olives
Dash red wine vinegar



I had my daily dark chocolate around 2 pm.

SNACK (6:30 pm)

McDonald's Fruit and Walnut salad (estimates):

Sliced apples and red seedless grapes
No whole grain
3 oz vanilla yogurt
1 TBSP chopped walnuts
No spices/seasonings

DINNER (8:30 pm)

Chicken Barley Soup with After Dinner Chocolate!

2 cups veggies (carrots, parsnips, onion, zucchini, scallions, asparagus) and 1 cup vegetable broth
1/2 cup cooked barley
3 oz cooked chicken
1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
Tarragon, basil, parsley, garlic

I love that I can choose chocolate as an option for my plant-based fat puzzle piece.

I am planning to take a break from my diet tomorrow because my husband and I are having a date! I will resume my blog on Sunday.

Day 26 - Mindless Eating Again

I had a fine day on the plan except for the random "putting things in my mouth at non-meal times" again (i.e., a couple of crackers before lunch, a few whole grain tortilla chips after dinner, etc.) I've got to get to the bottom of this mindless eating. Maybe I need to read the chapter in the book about emotional eating again. I am certainly looking forward to my 2nd Fast Forward phase next week. The best part about it is that it forces me to be more disciplined.

I just found a lovely blog from one of my favorite mail order catalogs in Ann Arbor Michigan: Zingerman's. They have some balsamic vinegars that I want to order soon, so I went to their site. And I discovered they have food tours in Italy! Oh, how I would love to go back to Italy and on a guided food tour nonetheless! Check it out in my blog list. I've got my eye on the Sicily tour in Fall 2012.

BREAKFAST (9:00 am)

Almond Toast with Berries and Milk:

1 cup frozen Trader Joe's Very Berry Cherry Blend (cherries, blackberries, blueberries, and raspberries), thawed
1 slice whole grain bread, toasted
8 oz skim milk
1 TBSP Justin’s honey almond butter
Dash nutmeg for berries

LUNCH (1:30 pm)

Turkey Almond Pita:

½ cup shredded purple cabbage (I was out of spinach leaves), 1 medium chopped plum tomato, and ½ cup chopped cucumber
½ whole grain pita
3 oz roasted sliced turkey breast
2 TBSP almond butter
Dash balsamic vinegar and pepper

I'm so glad that I can eat almond butter at every meal if I want to. I love it so much!

SNACK (5:00 pm)

Cranberry Pesto Egg Spread:

(I halved the whole grain and plant-based fat puzzle pieces again, so I could have the full recipe. I find myself doing this a lot.)

¼ cup dried cranberries
4 Trader Joe’s whole grain crackers
1 hard-boiled egg, chopped
½ TBSP sun-dried tomato pesto
Dash dried rosemary

DINNER (8:00 pm)

Pineapple Avocado Tacos:

1 cup fresh pineapple
2 soft taco-sized corn tortillas
¼ cup reduced fat feta cheese
¼ of a medium avocado
Dash pepper and lime juice

Yes, you read that correctly. I've been curious about this recipe since I love the combo of sweet & salty flavors together, but it was in the snack section of the book. I wouldn't have been able to eat it as a snack since I have to eliminate the whole grain from my snack each day, so I decided to try it for dinner telling myself that Cynthia's recipes usually do not disappoint. Well, it was just OK. Not sure I will make it again. It certainly isn't the prettiest thing to look at:

Day 25 - Pre-Pregnancy Weight!

Apparently 4 days of being on the road and not completely following the Cinch plan didn’t derail my progress too much because the scale is down another pound! I am officially at my pre-pregnancy weight. I’m completely elated and super motivated to continue my weight loss journey on this plan. I also tried on a pair of jeans that my Aunt gave me months ago that I could not fit into at the time, and this morning they fit! I am truly amazed and happy with all of my hard work. By the end of this week, I will have lost 8.5 pounds in 4 weeks. And I am about to start all over again on the Fast Forward phase. I'm thinking that I will only do 3 days since that is what the author recommends in the book if you do it a second time. Next Tuesday through Thursday will be Days 1-3, and then I will do the Core plan for another 27 days, which should bring me to about March 23rd.

Today has been much better than yesterday. I went back to work, and luckily I have some fresh food left in my fridge that hasn’t gone bad yet.

BREAKFAST (8:30 am)

Dark Chocolate Oatmeal and Yogurt with Green Grapes:

1 cup green grapes
¼ cup whole oats
½ cup low-fat cottage cheese
¼ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
Dash cloves

Unfortunately, my green grapes were rubbery, so I didn’t eat many of them. The cottage cheese with a dash of cloves was better than I thought it would be.

LUNCH (1:30 pm)

Turkey (Chicken) Almond Pita:

(I subbed chicken since my turkey slices weren't defrosted from the freezer yet.)

½ cup fresh spinach, ¼ cup chopped cucumber, and ¼ cup chopped plum tomato
½ whole grain pita
3 oz cooked chicken
1 TBSP raw natural almond butter
Dash balsamic vinegar

This pita was awesome!



SNACK (4:30 pm)

Berries & Yogurt with Crackers & Peanut Butter:

(I halved the whole grain and plant-based fat portions of the recipe.)

1 cup frozen Trader Joe's Very Berry Cherry Blend (cherries, blackberries, blueberries, and raspberries), thawed
4 Trader Joe’s whole grain crackers
6 oz vanilla yogurt
1 TBSP Justin’s Honey Almond Butter
Dash cinnamon



DINNER (7:30 pm)

Tuna Pecan Pasta:

1 cup chopped green beans, 1/3 cup chopped onion, 2/3 cup chopped carrots (omitted mushrooms + increased carrots), and ¼ cup low sodium vegetable broth
½ cup cooked whole grain penne pasta
3 oz. canned tuna, in water
2 TBSP chopped pecans
Garlic, oregano, and basil. This time, I added a dash of balsamic vinegar.

I love this recipe too!

I started working on my upcoming grocery list for this weekend tonight as well. I'm trying some new recipes this time as well as some traditional favorites of both me & my husband while I have been on this plan.

Day 23 & 24 - Ugh

Yikes... the days slipped away, and unfortunately so did my diet.

DAY 23:

I certainly had all the best intentions, which is usually the case with breakfast:

BREAKFAST (9:00 am)

1 cup sliced strawberries
1 slice Nutty Oat bread, toasted (didn't have any whole grain bread available)
6 oz. vanilla yogurt
1 TBSP Justin's all-natural chocolate peanut butter
Dash cinnamon

What I really wanted for breakfast was a bowl of cereal, but there wasn't any milk, so thankfully I was able to use my yogurt that I bought during the beginning of our trip. I mixed the berries with the yogurt and cinnamon, and had the toast with PB. I think that I could eat the different varieties of the Justin's nut butters everyday.

LUNCH (12:30 pm) at Brayten's

Salad Bar:

Lettuce, broccoli, cucumbers, onion, 3 or 4 cherry tomatoes
Garlic toasted rye bread croutons (The best whole grain I could find...Is rye even a whole grain?)
Diced hard-boiled egg and 1/4 cup cottage cheese
7-8 black olives and 1 TBSP sunflower seeds
Pepper

It was hard finding something to eat on the menu that would fit the plan. Especially since I was distracted with my son who was wiggling around and did not want to sit still in his high chair. I was really hoping for a big bowl of vegetable soup, but the 3 soups of the day were something creamy with chicken, chili, and tomato. I still find myself eating a lot of cold foods. I want to start eating cooked veggies with lunches & dinners, but it's hard being on this plan and salads seem like the safest bet. Most veggies are cooked with added salt or sugar.

I had my dark chocolate around 2:00 pm.

I skipped the snack because I knew we were having another dinner where I wasn't sure that I could make the plan fit into the meal.

And then, dinner was where it all went South:

DINNER (6:30 pm):

Salad with orange French dressing
1 slice garlic bread
1 small piece of lasagna
And 4 more pieces chocolate from Charlie's candies...

I managed to skip the homemade cinnamon rolls with almond icing that everyone else was having for dessert, so there is a small victory. And I certainly wanted a bigger piece of lasagna (which was super delicious)!



DAY 24:

BREAKFAST (8:30 am)

Pecan Lara Bar
Cappucino with skim milk

LUNCH (12:00 pm)

Panera Bread:

1/2 Classic cafe salad
Whole grain baguette
Black bean soup
Olive oil in the balsamic vinaigrette dressing
Lots of spices in the dressing and soup

SNACK (4:00 pm)

At a gas station:

No fruit available
1 serving of my Dr. Cracker whole grain crackers
Low-fat string cheese
1 TBSP Justin's all-natural chocolate peanut butter
No seasonings/spices

And I had my dark chocolate right after my snack.

DINNER (7:00 pm)

I was so tired when we got home that I didn't feel like cooking, so I ate a frozen Lean Cuisine instead, the Butternut Squash Ravioli.

I'm so looking forward to getting back to the plan tomorrow.